These are the ramblings of a self-described wheat, grain and gluten-free “gourmet girl” that loves to cook and eat good food. I love creating and sharing recipes and photographing “beautiful food”. In July 2012, I eliminated wheat, grains and added sugar from my diet and rediscovered real, whole fresh foods again and effortlessly lost 65+ pounds. Join me in my wheat, grain and gluten-free journey. See how easy it is to enjoy grain free gourmet, one meal at a time! Welcome to my blog. Enjoy!

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Sunday, September 28, 2014

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry - Low Carb "Take-in"

Today was an overcast and cool day here. We slept in again which was nice. It drizzled on and off as we ran our errands. Youngest son came for dinner this evening so I made dinner that contained two of his favorites...chicken and broccoli. I put together the quickest and easiest meal...Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry. I began preparing our meal at 5:45 and it was ready to eat at 6:15. If we had placed an order for "take-out", it would have taken at least that long to get it and it would have included yucky corn starch, no doubt. Most stir-fry sauces and foods contain corn starch as a thickener. I have made plenty of stir-fries in my day and they all included corn starch to either marinate the meat and or make the sauce. Not too long after going wheat and grain free a couple of years ago, I experimented a bit because stir-fry was one of my favorite kind of meals. I used nut butter as my thickener (peanut, almond and cashew). I was both amazed and thrilled at how nicely they thickened chicken or beef stock to duplicate the consistency of sauce traditionally thickened with cornstarch. If you like Kung Pao Chicken, peanut butter is awesome for thickening the sauce. If you don't want to taste the nut butter, cashew butter is the best to use because it's so mild and the other seasonings (garlic, red pepper, Tamari, etc) are the only flavors you'll taste. If you miss Chinese take-out, you will love this way of making your own Chinese "take-in" instead. You can do the same thing with shrimp or beef stir-fry too. Make it soon....thank me later! LOL I literally had dinner on the table in 30 minutes and that included making jasmine rice for the guys to eat with their meal. That is from start to finish, including chopping time, cooking time...everything! To save even more time, you could also buy pre-cut and washed bagged broccoli instead. Enjoy!

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-FryIngredients:2 tablespoons coconut oil2 cloves garlic, minced1-1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into approximate 1-inch cubes4 cups fresh broccoli florets2 medium carrots, thinly sliced, optional3 to 4 tablespoons cashew butter (or preferred nut butter such as peanut or almond)1 cup chicken stockPinch red pepper flakes, optional2 tablespoons gluten-free Tamari sauce, or to tasteDirections:Heat coconut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat; add garlic an stir-fry about 1 minute. Move garlic up the side of wok to keep away from direct heat; increase heat to medium high and add chicken and stir frequently until cooked and no longer translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes. While chicken is cooking, place broccoli florets and carrots in a covered microwave safe casserole with a few tablespoons of water and cook on high for about 2 minutes, until lightly steamed (or if preferred, steam in a pan on top of stove). When chicken is cooked, add drained broccoli and carrots, along with garlic on inside of pan; stir-fry together, tossing frequently. Move chicken and veggies aside, making a well in the center of wok. Add cashew butter and stir until melted; add 1/2 cup chicken stock and stir until a thickened sauce forms; add additional stock a little at a time to thin to desired consistency. Season with pinch of red pepper flakes and Tamari, to taste. Adjust sauce until desired consistency is reached; add additional cashew butter to thicken or stock to thin. Stir chicken, veggies and sauce together to coat. If desired, top with roasted cashews, almonds or peanuts.

I've used peanut butter in sauces a lot in Thai dishes. This was the first time I've used almond butter and I have to say this is one of my new favorite meals! It was delicious. Thank you for another great grain free meal!

Welcome to my Blog!

Welcome to my blog! I look forward to sharing my love of food, cooking and photography with you as well as some of my favorite recipes and food finds. Cooking is a passion and I love experimenting in the kitchen. I rarely follow a recipe exactly and usually feel the need to add a "tweak or two" to make it my own. I hope you get an idea or two while you are here. Cooking doesn't have to be complicated and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to be a good cook. There are so many ways to make a quick and delicious meal without having to run through the drive-thru. You can "have it your way" every day AT HOME! Enjoy!

*Note: Effective July 10, 2012, all recipes (except for an occasional one made for others) are completely grain free, wheat free, gluten free with no added sugar and can be found below in the list of recipes under "Wheat/Grain/Gluten Free Recipes". Enjoy!

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